Rebranding is an exciting time for a company! As time progresses, it makes sense for a company to grow and change to blend in with a new and current target market. This method will allow for a business to stay present in the industry and invest in new products and services that may potentially align with the brand and its mission.

When a company decides to undergo a rebranding process, there are certain aspects in the marketing area that need to be heavily monitored for successful communication. The marketing team is essentially responsible for nearly all communication that is distributed to current and potential new target markets. By following these key initiatives, then a company will be able to successfully communicate new branding information while reaching their updated target market. 

Introduce Changes as They Occur

Communication is key no matter what stage a company may currently reside. Since there’s a lot of new information that needs to be issued to both consumers and employees, it’s important to release that pertinent information as it becomes available. For instance, if there’s a new product release, then that brand needs to make sure that this is properly communicated to the target market to ensure consumers know that it will be available at a certain time for purchase. 

On the other hand, if there are rebranding changes on the internal side of the company, then the employees need to be informed, so that they may better understand the new business process or information delivered. As an example, there could be a new department forming to help move in the direction the business plans on going towards in the future. The existing employees need to know, so that they may see who they’ll be partnering with and learning from going forward.  

Don’t Dramatically Eliminate Old Methods 

Rebranding needs to happen in a smooth transition. If it’s too dramatic of a change, the current consumer won’t understand the new process of the company and will be left confused. Large amounts of money may also be lost because there may be too many new investments from the beginning and there’s no guarantee this new brand method may be so well received. To not lose the current consumer’s faith and understanding in the brand or invest too heavily into something new with no direct guarantee on return on investment, then there will be more of a loss than a gain in the transition period. If there’s a method that is consistently working for the brand, then it should be heavily considered that the system should not be dropped or altered at all.   

Keep Messaging Consistent 

When there is any new information that needs to be delivered to the consumer, it’s highly important to reinforce the message with consistent marketing communication. For instance, if the brand is creating and working with a new logo or name, then the messaging to inform the consumer needs to be delivered consistently to ensure that the consumer has seen and acknowledged this new change. 

The television network ABC Family was able to successfully do this with their new name Freeform. During their rebrand transition and the time leading up to this point, the network made sure to consistently inform consumers that this new name will become part of their new image on the television channel itself. 

Rebuild Website and Brand Imagery 

In order for the rebranded business to visually display this process, a new website look and brand imagery need to be present for the consumer. The updated design will help to update and refresh the look of a new brand in an illustrated way. Bloggers, for example, are constantly growing and evolving in more ways than ever, and they represent their new brand. As this occurs, bloggers are consistently changing the look of their website and imagery on all social media accounts to better showcase their current mission and aesthetic. 

Utilize all Communication Tools

All communication tools should be utilized in any type of marketing campaign to ensure any type of message is reaching the right consumer. The same needs to be done for rebranding purposes. When a company is going through a rebrand process, that company needs to act as if they are launching for the first time. The target market may be different, the products may be different and so the entire face of the company will be different. Since consumers won’t know this information, it’s the marketing team’s responsibility to ensure this is communicated on all communication channels such as print, television, social media, and more.  

Communicate a Solid Reason for the Change 

Rebranding doesn’t and shouldn’t occur without a solid rationale. Show and communicate the business transparency and honesty to consumers and employees. Modernly, more consumers are happy when a company directly communicates the reasoning for the decision. This builds a good foundation for a relationship and loyalty with the consumer. It also shows the commitment and effort a company is willing to go through to ensure they’re properly adhering to the target market’s interests and needs. 

Without that explanation with a reason, especially to the current employees with the company, then there will be a loss of trust and understanding as to what pathway this brand will transform. 

Engage for Feedback 

Even though there has most likely been extensive research conducted to ensure that this type of move will benefit the brand and the consumers, more research needs to be taken during the roll-out process. This will create an opportunity to engage and receive solid feedback because the opinions of the consumer have the possibility to change. 

For instance, the new imagery may not be what the consumer had originally anticipated and they might not be as interested as they originally thought. On the other hand, there’s the possibility that a new product release was well-received, but it was from a different type of consumer than the company had initially expected. No matter the outcome, data and feedback should always be conducted so that the business may continue to grow and evolve more successfully.   

Make Sure to Align the Timelines Together 

The timeline for company releases and marketing needs to be closely followed together, so that consumers may not become confused. For instance, if there is a new line of Nike sneakers being released to consumers, but the marketing set for that time period doesn’t align together and showcase the release, then the receptivity to both messages will be split. This isn’t to say that there can’t be multiple campaigns at once, but there doesn’t need to be a recognition and understanding of which ones will be occurring and that some may overshadow others, causing an opportunity to miss out on key information.  

Rebranding Doesn’t Always Include the Entire Company 

When people first think of rebranding, they may instantly think this has to do with the entire company. This isn’t necessarily true. There could be a product that needs to be revised and updated for modern consumption or there could be a need to only change the look of packaging to reflect a new season or additional brand mission. Rebranding may occur in many shapes and forms, and it’s the job of the marketer to make these announcements and properly showcase all of them in each form.